Buxton on that Beat
Byron Buxton (MIN): 2-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
It has been a long and winding road back to full health for Byron Buxton and he showed on Sunday how dynamic he can be when he is in the lineup every day.
The 30-year-old went 2-for-5 and bashed two home runs, including a ninth-inning solo shot to keep the Twins in the ballgame. Buxton doesn’t steal as many bases as he used to, but he has proven that he still can do plenty of damage in the batter’s box. He is hitting .364/.413/.700 with eight homers over his last 30 games.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Sunday.
Yordan Alvarez (HOU): 4-4, HR, 3B, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI.
The biggest star of the night was Yordan Alvarez, who became the ninth hitter in Astros history to hit for the cycle. Just 27 years old, Alvarez consistently, day in and day out, proves that he is one of the brightest stars in the game and has Cooperstown in his future.
Eric Haase (MIL): 3-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
While not the talents that Buxton and Alvarez are, Brewers backup catcher Eric Haase was not to be outdone on Sunday as he also belted two HRs, including a ninth-inning solo shot that proved to be the game-winner. While he has only amassed 21 at-bats this season at the major league level, Haase has made the most of them with a .429/.455/.857 line and three HRs.
James Wood (WAS): 2-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.
Top prospect James Wood has had an up-and-down first couple weeks in the majors, but he showed why he is held in such high regard on Sunday when he launched a go-ahead opposite field three-run HR off veteran LHP Justin Wilson, who was brought in specifically to get Wood out. He hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire with his performance yet, but Wood is holding his own against the best in baseball and should adjust nicely for the rest of the season.
George Springer (TOR): 3-4, 2 HR, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI.
It has been a tough year for the last-place Blue Jays and their prized RF George Springer, but Sunday was a nice reminder of what the 34-year-old is capable of when he gets hot. Springer had two HRs before the third inning was over and he has actually been very good at the plate over the last month, hitting .306/.370/.620 with eight HRs in that span.
Alec Burleson (STL): 2-5, HR, 1 R, 2 RBI.
The St. Louis Cardinals are just chock full of underrated left-handed bats and Alec Burleson is having the best season out of all of them. The 25-year-old is now tied for the team lead with 18 HRs to go along with an outstanding 13.2 K%.
Luke Raley (SEA): 1-3, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
Luke Raley was a big reason why the Mariners were able to overcome Yordan Alvarez’s cycle and secure a big 6-4 win in the AL West race. His sixth-inning three-run HR gave Seattle a 6-1 lead and he now has hit 10 of his 11 HRs this season off RHP.
Gavin Lux (LAD): 3-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB.
On a night that saw the Dodgers hit six HRs off Red Sox pitching, Gavin Lux stole the show as he added in a double and a stolen base for good measure. Lux has drawn a lot of ire this season from Dodgers fans and he might be out of a starting job when Mookie Betts comes back. If he can put together more performances like this, however, he might see his name in the lineup more often.
Jarren Duran (BOS): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
Following up his MVP performance in the All-Star Game, Jarren Duran has come out of the gates hot to start the second half. That is now three consecutive two-hit games for the former seventh-round pick and he also has two HRs in those games.